Pocket-safe.



0. HAMMON.

POCKET SAFE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1913.

1,098,496, Patented June 2, 1914.

WITNESSES: FIG. 3.

31" M23 JITORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CQ.,\VASHINGTON, 0.15.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HAMMON, OF STILLWATER, MINNESOTA.

POCKET-SAFE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES HAMMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stillwater, in the county of Washington and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Pocket-Sate, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pocket safes; and the object of the invention is to prevent the unnoticed removal of purses and other valuables from a garment pocket by pickpocket or other thieves, or by accidentally inverting the pocket. To attain this object I provide a metallic safe adapted to go into a pocket and to be secured therein in such a manner that it cannot be removed without first opening the safe. I also provide the safe with an alarm bell which is automatically rung by opening the safe. I also construct the safe in such a manner that it is diiiicult to open without arousing the carrier 01 the safe even if the bell should be put out of commission by the thief, or should accidentally get out of order.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top view of my pocket saie. Fig. 2 is a section on the line (Z -66 Fig. 1 of the up per portion of the safe. Fig. 3 is a section on the line b-Z2 Fig. 1, of the upper portion of the safe. Fig, at is an inner side view 0 a portion of a coat having an inside pocket with my improved sate secured therein. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line c@ Fig. 4 with the spring 19 in Fig. 3 omitted. Fig. 6 is a section on the line e-e Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a section on the line (Z-cZ Fig.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 1 designates a sheet metallic box or body of the safe and is adapted to he slipped into a garment pocket, preferably an inside coat pocket as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, where 2 designates the coat, 3 the lining, and 4 the pocket.

To the upper edge of the inner wall of the box (that is, the wall next-to the person carrying the safe) is hinged by a pintle 5 a flap 6, which is provided with two prongs 7, which prongs are adapted to pass through eyelets (not shown) in the wall 1* of the pocket, and through apertures 9 in the adjacent wall 1 of the box (see Fig. 2). Said prongs are each provided with a transverse aperture 8 (see dotted line 8 in Fig. 5) for the reception of the end of a locking bolt 10 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1913.

Patented June 2, 1914.. Serial No. 769,461.

(see Fig. 2) sliding in bearings 11 and provided with a linger catch 12.

Upon the adjacent ends of the two bolts is placed an expansion coil spring 13, which acts against the finger catches to hold the bolts in locking position. Hence to remove the safe a person must put two fingers down into the safe and retract the bolts 10 by pulling the finger catches against the stopping plus 14-.

The cover 15 is hinged on the same pintle,

.5, and does not only cover the top of the box, but has also a rigid angular downward extension 15 covering a large segmental notch 16 in the outer wall l of the box (see Fig. 8). To said extension 15 is pivoted at 17 a lever 18, which by a spring 19 is nor mally held in one end of a slot 20 in the cover. The lever 18 projects above the cover and is provided with a slotted hole 21 in which is inserted the operating arm 22 of a bell 23, which is mounted in the present illustration upon the cover, while it may it so desired be mounted at the under side 01' the cover so as to prevent muflling of it by a pickpocket. Said bell is on the order of a common bicycle bell which rings when the operating lever is vibrated or even pressed only to one side.

The lower end of the lever 18 is arranged to engage and open a latch 21, which is pivoted at 25 t0 the box andin locking the cover engages a hook 26 on the part 15 ot' the cover. Said latch 24 swings in a keeper 2'? and is normally held in locking position by a spring 28. From this arrangement it will be seen that in opening the safe the upper end of the lever 18 is to be pressed as from left to right in Fig. 8, which movement will ring the bell and disengage the latch 21, whereupon a spring 29 (shown to the left in Fig. 3) will start the opening of the cover by pressing outward against the portion l5 of it. Said spring 29. thus holds the cover unlocked until the operator can take hold of it and open it fully, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The latter movement of the cover is intentionally rendered somewhat difficult by having the extension lb of the cover so long that it requires about all available space in the pocket to open it and close it, as indicated to the fullest extent by the circle 30 in Fig. 5.

The notch 16 in the rear wall of the box for taking hold of in raising the r'alse bottom to any desired height. 34 (in Fig. 3) is a spring arm clasping the rod 32 against the wall of the box, so as to hold the false bottom at the desired elevations while placing upon it or removing from it, jewelry watches, cash, or pocket books, and

other valuables carried in the safe. Before the safe is closed the rod 32 is pushed down until the false bottom 31 may rest upon the fixed bottom 31*.

It is of course possible to omit either one of the two bottoms 31 31*, but it is probably preferable to use both of them.

that I claim is 1. In a pocket safe, the combination with a metallic box open at the top and provided with means for securing it in a garment pocket, of a cover hinged on the box to cover said open top, a device for locking the cover after it is closed and unlocking it preparatory to opening it, and an audible signal device arranged to be automatically operated by said unlocking device.

2. In a pocket safe, the combination with a metallic box open at the top and provided with means for securing it in a garment pocket, of a cover hinged to the box to close said opening; said cover having the edge opposite from its hinges provided with an angular extension reaching partly down upon the side of the box when the cover is closed, such arm designed to render unwarranted opening of the cover difficult.

3. In a pocket safe, the combination with a box open at the top and having means for securing it in a garment pocket, and a cover closing its top, of a bottom movable up and down in the box, and means for holding said bottom at different heights in the box, so as to avoid detaching and inverting of the box in order to reach the lower part of its contents.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HAMMON.

lVitnesses:

J. A. HUMPHREYS, VALTER L. AMIDON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents,

7 Washington, D. G. 

